CONNECTICUT 
STATE  LIBRARY 

HARTFORD 


A BRIEF  SUMMARY 
OF  ITS  ACTIVITIES 


SECOND  EDITION 
Printed  for  the  Library 
December,  1915 


NOTE  TO  SECOND  EDITION 


* 


This  Brief  Summary  of  the  Activities  of  the 
Connecticut  State  Library  has  been  prepared  to 
inform  those  who  may  have  occasion  to  consult)! 
the  library  concerning  what  help  they  may  expect 
to  receive  from  or  through  it,  and  to  suggest  to 
those  interested  in  what  ways  they  can  be  of 
assistance  in  its  further  development. 


State  Librarian 


Connecticut  State  Library 

Hartford,  December  17,  1915 


QVX.ll* 


THE  Connecticut  State  Library,  like  practically  all 
the  State  Libraries  of  the  older  states,  had  its 
foundation  in  the  miscellaneous  collection  of  books 
which  had  gradually  accumulated  in  the  offices  of  the 
several  state  officials  from  the  beginning.  These  volumes 
consisted  principally  of  books  purchased  to  meet  tempo- 
rary official  necessities,  or  which  had  been  presented  by 
sister  states,  foreign  governments,  or  individuals.  Until 
they  had  been  gathered  together,  arranged  and  some  one 
^nade  responsible  for  their  completeness  and  safety,  they 
ivere  of  very  little  service  to  the  public. 

In  May,  1854,  the  General  Assembly  provided  for  the 
appointment  of  a State  Librarian  and  the  miscellaneous 
collection  of  books  belonging  to  the  state  which  had  been 
accumulating  in  the  office  of  the  Secretary  of  State  were 
placed  in  the  custody  of  this  new  official.  During  the 
sixty  years  which  have  elapsed  since  1854,  Connecticut 
has  had  but  three  State  Librarians;  viz.:  Dr.  J.  Ham- 
mond Trumbull,  who  served  one  year  when  he  resigned; 
Dr.  Charles  J.  Hoadly,  who  served  from  September,  1 855, 
until  his  death,  October,  1 900,  a period  of  forty-five  years, 
and  the  present  State  Librarian,  who  came  to  the  State 
Library  in  August,  1898,  as  assistant  and  was  appointed 
State  Librarian  November  28,  1900. 

From  its  rooms  in  the  old  State  House,  now  City  Hall, 
the  Library  was  moved  to  larger  and  more  convenient 
quarters  in  the  new  Capitol  in  1878,  where  it  remained 
until  the  completion  of  its  new  home  in  our  State  Library 
and  Supreme  Court  Building,  to  which  it  transferred  its 
activities  November  28,  1910. 

The  Connecticut  State  Library  is  especially  fortunate, 
being  central  in  its  location,  housed  in  a building  substan- 
tially built,  beautiful  in  its  architecture,  convenient  in 
its  arrangement,  harmonious  in  its  decorations  and 
homelike.  It  is,  to  paraphrase  the  words  of  another,  a 
library  by  the  people,  of  the  people,  and  for  the  people. 


4 


CONNECTICUT  STATE  LIBRARY 


To  the  judge  and  attorney  it  is  the  Law  Library  of  the 
State,  commendably  complete  in  its  several  lines. 

To  the  legislator  and  man  of  public  affairs  it  is  a Legis- 
lative Reference  Library,  in  which  he  can,  at  his  own  con- 
venience and  in  his  own  way,  study  easily,  intelligently 
and  fully,  not  only  the  trend  of  legislation  both  at  horne^ 
and  abroad  and  learn  something  of  the  reasons  for  and 
against  the  several  movements,  but  he  can  also  ascertain 
there  the  contents  and  daily  status  of  each  bill  in  his  own 
legislature. 

To  the  town  clerk  and  judge  of  probate  it  is  a possible, 
convenient,  desirable  and  safe  depository  for  files  and 
papers  not  in  current  use,  and  a source  of  intelligent 
assistance,  which  is  theirs  for  the  asking,  in  matters  per- 
taining to  binding,  repairing,  indexing  and  caring  for 
those  records  which  must  be  retained  in  their  several 
offices. 

To  the  state  officer  and  commissioner,  the  State  Library 
is  the  place  where  he  can  find  at  any  time  the  reports  of 
his  own  department  and  similar  departments  in  other 
states,  and  a place  where  he  can  deposit  any  special 
reports,  records  or  other  material  which  may  come  to 
him,  or  which  he  may  care  to  have  in  a place  of  safety, 
and  at  all  reasonable  times  have  accessible  to  him  and  to 
those  who  have  a right  to  use  them. 

To  the  selectman  and  town  treasurer  the  State  Library 
is  the  place  where  they  are  confident  they  can  find  a 
commendably  complete  file  of  the  financial  reports  of 
their  own  towns  and  neighboring  towns,  which  are 
often  lacking  at  home. 

To  the  civil  engineer  and  surveyor  the  State  Library  is 
not  only  a source  of  supply  of  topographical  maps  of  tie 
State  as  it  is  today,  but  the  depository  of  the  official  copy 
of  the  drawings  and  specifications  for  all  dams  and  water- 
ways approved  by  the  State  Board  of  Civil  Engineers, 


SUMMARY  OF  ACTIVITIES 


5 


and  the  repository  of  records  showing  the  layout  of  many 
counties,  towns,  school  districts,  ecclesiastical  societies, 
highways,  etc.,  as  they  now  are  or  used  to  be. 

To  the  members  of  the  Connecticut  Geological  and 
Natural  History  Survey  and  those  interested  along  these 
^ lines,  the  State  Library  is  the  distributing  and  exchange 
agency  for  the  several  publications  of  the  Commission. 

To  the  minister  of  our  older  churches  the  State  Library 
^ is  a mine  of  wealth  concerning  many  things  which  relate 
1 to  the  life  and  activities  of  the  church  in  the  days  of  our 
fathers. 


To  the  genealogist  and  descendants  of  Colonial  and 
Revolutionary  ancestry  our  large  collection  of  muster- 
rolls,  pay-rolls,  lists,  receipts  and  miscellaneous  manu- 
scripts, together  with  our  genealogies  and  local  histories, 
is  the  one  department  thought  of. 

To  the  members  of  the  Connecticut  Society  of  Colonial 
Dames  the  Connecticut  State  Library  is  the  home  of  that 
unique  collection  of  manuscript  histories  relating  to  the 
early  homes  of  our  fathers  in  Connecticut,  which  are 
being  compiled  by  this  society. 

The  student  of  politcal  economy  and  government  is 
attracted  by  our  large  collection  of  public  documents  of 
our  own  state,  the  sister  states,  and  United  States, 
arranged  in  long  series,  easily  accessible. 

The  inventor  and  prospective  patentee  thinks  only  of 
our  long  sets  of  patent  reports  and  certified  copies  of 
|pecifications  and  drawings  of  patents,  always  at  his 


service. 


The  pupils  of  our  public  schools  think  of  the  State 
Library  as  the  home  of  the  old  Charter,  the  Stuart  por- 
trait of  Washington,  the  portraits  of  our  several  governors, 
and  the  place  where  they  can  see  so  many  things  of  interest 
to  them  connected  with  the  history  of  our  own  State  and 
the  general  government. 


6 


CONNECTICUT  STATE  LIBRARY 


The  numismatist  has  formed  his  idea  of  our  State 
Library  through  that  remarkable  collection  of  coins,  cur- 
rency, medals,  tokens  and  associated  books,  recently 
presented  to  the  State  by  one  of  her  sons,  the  late  Joseph 
C.  Mitchelson  of  Tariff ville. 

To  the  tourist  and  professional  traveler  the  Connecticut  ^ 
State  Library  is  simply  a beautiful,  new  building,  which 
having  been  planned  from  the  inside  out  as  well  as  from  - 
the  outside  in,  and  having  been  built  upon  honor  and  for 
time,  is  acknowledged  to  be  a model  of  its  kind.  5 

To  the  several  state  libraries  of  our  own  country  and 
governmental  libraries  of  Europe  the  Connecticut  State 
Library  is  looked  upon  as  the  exchange  medium  with  the 
State  of  Connecticut,  through  which  they  receive  promptly 
the  official  publications  of  the  State,  and  in  which  may 
be  found  the  several  official  publications  sent  in  return. 

To  the  sons  and  daughters  of  Connecticut,  who  have 
inherited  or  accumulated  manuscripts  and  records  which 
they  have  held  almost  sacred,  the  Connecticut  State 
Library  is  regarded  as  a most  fitting  depository  for  these 
private  collections  of  official  and  semi-official  papers, 
which  have  to  do  with  the  early  life  and  activities  of  the 
State  and  its  several  families. 

To  the  librarian  and  his  staff  the  Connecticut  State 
Library  is  a group  of  departments,  housed  in  a model 
building,  with  interested  and  competent  assistants,  whose 
aim  and  purpose  is  to  serve  intelligently,  promptly,  and 
courteously  not  only  the  inquirers  of  our  own  generation 
but  those  which  are  to  follow.  ] 

The  above,  I imagine,  are  some  of  the  ideas  which  have 
become  clustered  about  the  name  of  the  “Connecticut 
State  Library,’ * and  may  we  not  say  that  all  of  them  art* 
right,  simply  looking  at  the  Library  from  their  own  point 
of  view,  and  thinking  along  the  lines  in  which  they  are 
especially  interested. 


SUMMARY  OF  ACTIVITIES 


7 


WHAT  IS  THE  CONNECTICUT  STATE  LIBRARY? 


It  is  the: 


A 

V 


1. 

2. 


3. 

4. 

5. 

6. 
7. 


8. 


9. 

10. 

11. 

12. 

13. 


i 

f 


Supreme  Court  Law  Library. 

Legislative  Reference  Department. 

Department  of  Local  History  and  Genealogy. 

Archives  Department. 

Depository  of  Public  Records. 

Examiner  of  Public  Records. 

Depository  of  Connecticut  State,  Town,  Municipal 
and  Society  official  publications. 

Depository  for  the  official  publications  of  the 
United  States,  the  several  states  of  the  Union, 
the  Canadian  Government  and  Provinces, 
and  of  the  Australian  Colonies. 

Library  Exchange  Agent  for  Connecticut  State 
Publications. 

Exchange  Agent  for  Connecticut  Geological  and 
Natural  History  Survey  Publications. 

Custodian  of  Portraits  of  Governors. 

Custodian  of  State  Library  and  Supreme  Court 
Building. 

Depository  of  historical  and  genealogical  gifts  to 
the  State.  Among  these  gifts  are  the  following : 
a Sherman  W.  Adams  Collection  of  official 
rolls  and  lists  relating  to  the  French  and 
Indian  War. 

b Dorence  Atwater  Collection  of  manuscripts 
relating  to  Andersonville. 
c William  F.  J.  Boardman  Collection  of  books 
and  manuscripts  relating  to  Genealogy. 
d Brandegee  Collection  of  Portraits  of  Chief 
Justices  of  the  United  States. 
e Stephen  Dodd  Collection  of  manuscripts 
relating  to  the  early  history  of  East  Haven. 
/ Enfield  Shaker  Collection. 
g Sylvester  Gilbert  Collection  of  papers  rela- 
ting to  the  American  Revolution. 
h Charles  Hammond  and  H.  M.  Lawson  Col- 
lections of  manuscripts  relating  to  the  earty 
history  of  the  Town  of  Union. 


CONNECTICUT  STATE  LIBRARY 


m 


Col.  Edwin  D.  Judd  Collection  of  Civil  j 
military  rolls  and  papers. 

Dwight  C.  Kilbourn  Collection  of  be] 
pamphlets  and  manuscripts  relating  to 
necticut  and  New  England. 

Ellen  D.  Larned  Collection  of  books  and  mS 
scripts  relating  to  New  England. 

Daniel  N.  Morgan  Historical 
including  table  on  which  Emancipd 

Proclamation  was  signed.  | 

Deacon  Lewis  M.  Norton  Collection  of  m 
scripts  relating  to  the  Town  of  Goshelis:^!‘#jS} 


Collecjpjfpi 


papers,  1778-1824. 

Major  E.  V.  Preston  Collection  of 
military  rolls  and  papers. 

Col.  Daniel  Putnam  Letters. 

Governor  Trumbull  Manuscripts. 

Gideon  and  Thaddeus  Welles  Collection 
American  newspapers  from  1820  to 
approximately. 

Charles  T.  Wells  Collection  of  books  reld^| 
to  New  England. 

Robert  C.  Winthrop  Collection  of  m raRSyiRH 
scripts  relating  to  early  Connecticut. 

Samuel  Wyllys  Collection  of  manusefi 
relating  to  witchcraft  and  other  crimq® 
early  Connecticut. 


■ 


OZl.ZZ 

CT52c£ 

^3- 


CONNECTICUT 
STATE  LIBRARY 

HARTFORD 


A BRIEF  SUMMARY 
OF  ITS  ACTIVITIES 


SECOND  EDITION 

Printed  for  the  Library 
December,  1915 


NOTE  TO  SECOND  EDITION 


This  Brief  Summary  of  the  Activities  of  the 
Connecticut  State  Library  has  been  prepared  to 
inform  those  who  may  have  occasion  to  consult 
the  library  concerning  what  help  they  may  expect 
to  receive  from  or  through  it,  and  to  suggest  to 
those  interested  in  what  ways  they  can  be  of 
assistance  in  its  further  development. 


State  Librarian 


Connecticut  State  Library 

Hartford,  December  17,  1915 


THE  Connecticut  State  Library,  like  practically  all 
the  State  Libraries  of  the  older  states,  had  its 
foundation  in  the  miscellaneous  collection  of  books 
which  had  gradually  accumulated  in  the  offices  of  the 
several  state  officials  from  the  beginning.  These  volumes 
consisted  principally  of  books  purchased  to  meet  tempo- 
rary official  necessities,  or  which  had  been  presented  by 
sister  states,  foreign  governments,  or  individuals.  Until 
they  had  been  gathered  together,  arranged  and  some  one 
made  responsible  for  their  completeness  and  safety,  they 
were  of  very  little  service  to  the  public. 

In  May,  1854,  the  General  Assembly  provided  for  the 
appointment  of  a State  Librarian  and  the  miscellaneous 
collection  of  books  belonging  to  the  state  which  had  been 
accumulating  in  the  office  of  the  Secretary  of  State  were 
placed  in  the  custody  of  this  new  official.  During  the 
sixty  years  which  have  elapsed  since  1854,  Connecticut 
has  had  but  three  State  Librarians;  viz.;  Dr.  J.  Ham- 
mond Trumbull,  who  served  one  year  when  he  resigned; 
Dr.  Charles  J.  Hoadly,  who  served  from  September,  1 855, 
until  his  death,  October,  1 900,  a period  of  forty-five  years, 
and  the  present  State  Librarian,  who  came  to  the  State 
Library  in  August,  1898,  as  assistant  and  was  appointed 
State  Librarian  November  28,  1900. 

From  its  rooms  in  the  old  State  House,  now  City  Hall, 
the  Library  was  moved  to  larger  and  more  convenient 
quarters  in  the  new  Capitol  in  1878,  where  it  remained 
until  the  completion  of  its  new  home  in  our  State  Library 
and  Supreme  Court  Building,  to  which  it  transferred  its 
activities  November  28,  1910. 

The  Connecticut  State  Library  is  especially  fortunate, 
being  central  in  its  location,  housed  in  a building  substan- 
tially built,  beautiful  in  its  architecture,  convenient  in 
its  arrangement,  harmonious  in  its  decorations  and 
homelike.  It  is,  to  paraphrase  the  words  of  another,  a 
library  by  the  people,  of  the  people,  and  for  the  people. 


CONNECTICUT  STATE  LIBRARY 


To  the  judge  and  attorney  it  is  the  Law  Library  of  the 
State,  commendably  complete  in  its  several  lines. 

To  the  legislator  and  man  of  public  affairs  it  is  a Legis- 
lative Reference  Library,  in  which  he  can,  at  his  own  con- 
venience and  in  his  own  way,  study  easily,  intelligently 
and  fully,  not  only  the  trend  of  legislation  both  at  home 
and  abroad  and  learn  something  of  the  reasons  for  and 
against  the  several  movements,  but  he  can  also  ascertain 
there  the  contents  and  daily  status  of  each  bill  in  his  own 
legislature. 

To  the  town  clerk  and  judge  of  probate  it  is  a possible, 
convenient,  desirable  and  safe  depository  for  files  and 
papers  not  in  current  use,  and  a source  of  intelligent 
assistance,  which  is  theirs  for  the  asking,  in  matters  per- 
taining to  binding,  repairing,  indexing  and  caring  for 
those  records  which  must  be  retained  in  their  several 
offices. 

To  the  state  officer  and  commissioner,  the  State  Library 
is  the  place  where  he  can  find  at  any  time  the  reports  of 
his  own  department  and  similar  departments  in  other 
states,  and  a place  where  he  can  deposit  any  special 
reports,  records  or  other  material  which  may  come  to 
him,  or  which  he  may  care  to  have  in  a place  of  safety, 
and  at  all  reasonable  times  have  accessible  to  him  and  to 
those  who  have  a right  to  use  them. 

To  the  selectman  and  town  treasurer  the  State  Library 
is  the  place  where  they  are  confident  they  can  find  a 
commendably  complete  file  of  the  financial  reports  of 
their  own  towns  and  neighboring  towns,  which  are  so 
often  lacking  at  home. 

To  the  civil  engineer  and  surveyor  the  State  Library  is 
not  only  a source  of  supply  of  topographical  maps  of  the 
State  as  it  is  today,  but  the  depository  of  the  official  copy 
of  the  drawings  and  specifications  for  all  dams  and  water- 
ways approved  by  the  State  Board  of  Civil  Engineers, 


SUMMARY  OF  ACTIVITIES 


5 


and  the  repository  of  records  showing  the  layout  of  many 
counties,  towns,  school  districts,  ecclesiastical  societies, 
highways,  etc.,  as  they  now  are  or  used  to  be. 

To  the  members  of  the  Connecticut  Geological  and 
Natural  History  Survey  and  those  interested  along  these 
lines,  the  State  Library  is  the  distributing  and  exchange 
agency  for  the  several  publications  of  the  Commission. 

To  the  minister  of  our  older  churches  the  State  Library 
is  a mine  of  wealth  concerning  many  things  which  relate 
to  the  life  and  activities  of  the  church  in  the  days  of  our 
fathers. 

To  the  genealogist  and  descendants  of  Colonial  and 
Revolutionary  ancestry  our  large  collection  of  muster- 
rolls,  pay-rolls,  lists,  receipts  and  miscellaneous  manu- 
scripts, together  with  our  genealogies  and  local  histories, 
is  the  one  department  thought  of. 

To  the  members  of  the  Connecticut  Society  of  Colonial 
Dames  the  Connecticut  State  Library  is  the  home  of  that 
unique  collection  of  manuscript  histories  relating  to  the 
early  homes  of  our  fathers  in  Connecticut,  which  are 
being  compiled  by  this  society. 

The  student  of  politcal  economy  and  government  is 
attracted  by  our  large  collection  of  public  documents  of 
our  own  state,  the  sister  states,  and  United  States, 
arranged  in  long  series,  easily  accessible. 

The  inventor  and  prospective  patentee  thinks  only  of 
our  long  sets  of  patent  reports  and  certified  copies  of 
specifications  and  drawings  of  patents,  always  at  his 
service. 

The  pupils  of  our  public  schools  think  of  the  State 
Library  as  the  home  of  the  old  Charter,  the  Stuart  por- 
trait of  Washington,  the  portraits  of  our  several  governors, 
and  the  place  where  they  can  see  so  many  things  of  interest 
to  them  connected  with  the  history  of  our  own  State  and 
the  general  government. 


6 


CONNECTICUT  STATE  LIBRARY 


The  numismatist  has  formed  his  idea  of  our  State 
Library  through  that  remarkable  collection  of  coins,  cur- 
rency, medals,  tokens  and  associated  books,  recently 
presented  to  the  State  by  one  of  her  sons,  the  late  Joseph 
C.  Mitchelson  of  Tariff ville. 

To  the  tourist  and  professional  traveler  the  Connecticut 
State  Library  is  simply  a beautiful,  new  building,  which 
having  been  planned  from  the  inside  out  as  well  as  from 
the  outside  in,  and  having  been  built  upon  honor  and  for 
time,  is  acknowledged  to  be  a model  of  its  kind. 

To  the  several  state  libraries  of  our  own  country  and 
governmental  libraries  of  Europe  the  Connecticut  State 
Library  is  looked  upon  as  the  exchange  medium  with  the 
State  of  Connecticut,  through  which  they  receive  promptly 
the  official  publications  of  the  State,  and  in  which  may 
be  found  the  several  official  publications  sent  in  return. 

To  the  sons  and  daughters  of  Connecticut,  who  have 
inherited  or  accumulated  manuscripts  and  records  which 
they  have  held  almost  sacred,  the  Connecticut  State 
Library  is  regarded  as  a most  fitting  depository  for  these 
private  collections  of  official  and  semi-official  papers, 
which  have  to  do  with  the  early  life  and  activities  of  the 
State  and  its  several  families. 

To  the  librarian  and  his  staff  the  Connecticut  State 
Library  is  a group  of  departments,  housed  in  a model 
building,  with  interested  and  competent  assistants,  whose 
aim  and  purpose  is  to  serve  intelligently,  promptly,  and 
courteously  not  only  the  inquirers  of  our  own  generation 
but  those  which  are  to  follow. 

The  above,  I imagine,  are  some  of  the  ideas  which  have 
become  clustered  about  the  name  of  the  “Connecticut 
State  Library,”  and  may  we  not  say  that  all  of  them  are 
right,  simply  looking  at  the  Library  from  their  own  point 
of  view,  and  thinking  along  the  lines  in  which  they  are 
especially  interested. 


CONNECTICUT  STATE  LIBRARY  AND  SUPREME  COURT  BUILDING.  HARTFORD 


1 


V / 

' 

I 


SUMMARY  OF  ACTIVITIES 


7 


WHAT  IS  THE  CONNECTICUT  STATE  LIBRARY? 

It  is  the: 

1.  Supreme  Court  Law  Library. 

2.  Legislative  Reference  Department. 

3.  Department  of  Local  History  and  Genealogy. 

4.  Archives  Department. 

5.  Depository  of  Public  Records. 

6.  Examiner  of  Public  Records. 

7.  Depository  of  Connecticut  State,  Town,  Municipal 

and  Society  official  publications. 

8.  Depository  for  the  official  publications  of  the 

United  States,  the  several  states  of  the  Union, 
the  Canadian  Government  and  Provinces, 
and  of  the  Australian  Colonies. 

9.  Library  Exchange  Agent  for  Connecticut  State 

Publications. 

10.  Exchange  Agent  for  Connecticut  Geological  and 

Natural  History  Survey  Publications. 

11.  Custodian  of  Portraits  of  Governors. 

12.  Custodian  of  State  Library  and  Supreme  Court 

Building. 

13.  Depository  of  historical  and  genealogical  gifts  to 

the  State.  Among  these  gifts  are  the  following : 
a Sherman  W.  Adams  Collection  of  official 
rolls  and  lists  relating  to  the  French  and 
Indian  War. 

b Dorence  Atwater  Collection  of  manuscripts 
relating  to  Andersonville. 
c William  F.  J.  Boardman  Collection  of  books 
and  manuscripts  relating  to  Genealogy. 
d Brandegee  Collection  of  Portraits  of  Chief 
Justices  of  the  United  States. 
e Stephen  Dodd  Collection  of  manuscripts 
relating  to  the  early  history  of  East  Haven. 
/ Enfield  Shaker  Collection. 
g Sylvester  Gilbert  Collection  of  papers  rela- 
ting to  the  American  Revolution. 
h Charles  Hammond  and  H.  M.  Lawson  Col- 
lections of  manuscripts  relating  to  the  early 
history  of  the  To^  n of  Union. 


8 


CONNECTICUT 


3 0112  072366880 


i Col.  Edwin  D.  Judd  Collection  of  Civil  War 
military  rolls  and  papers. 

j Dwight  C.  Kilbourn  Collection  of  books, 
pamphlets  and  manuscripts  relating  to  Con- 
necticut and  New  England. 
k Ellen  D.  Larned  Collection  of  books  and  manu- 
scripts relating  to  New  England. 

I Daniel  N.  Morgan  Historical  Collection, 
including  table  on  which  Emancipation 
Proclamation  was  signed. 
m Deacon  Lewis  M.  Norton  Collection  of  manu- 
scripts relating  to  the  Town  of  Goshen. 
n Orville  H.  Platt  Collection  relating  to  Finance, 
Indians  and  Insular  Afflairs. 
o Capt.  John  Pratt  Collection  of  military 
papers,  1778-1824. 

p Major  E.  V.  Preston  Collection  of  Civil  War 
military  rolls  and  papers. 
q Col.  Daniel  Putnam  Letters. 
r Governor  Trumbull  Manuscripts. 
s Gideon  and  Thaddeus  Welles  Collection  of 
American  newspapers  from  1820  to  1840, 
approximately. 

t Charles  T.  Wells  Collection  of  books  relating 
to  New  England. 

u Robert  C.  Winthrop  Collection  of  manu- 
scripts relating  to  early  Connecticut. 
v Samuel  Wyllys  Collection  of  manuscripts 
relating  to  witchcraft  and  other  crimes  in 
early  Connecticut. 


e,*isc* 


ummst nr  n 1 ,w0^  \ 

JAN1  8 1917 


CONNECTICUT 
STATE  LIBRARY 

HARTFORD 


! 


A BRIEF  SUMMARY 
OF  ITS  ACTIVITIES 


SECOND  EDITION 
Printed  for  the  Library 
December,  1915 


NOTE  TO  SEGOND  EDITION 


This  Brief  Summary  of  the  Activities  of  the 
Connecticut  State  Library  has  been  prepared  to 
inform  those  who  may  have  occasion  to  consult 
the  library  concerning  what  help  they  may  expect 
to  receive  from  or  through  it,  and  to  suggest  to 
those  interested  in  what  ways  they  can  be  of 
assistance  in  its  further  development. 


State  Librarian 


Connecticut  State  Library 

Hartford,  December  17,  1915 


Connecticut  state  Lifer,  ry . 

A brief • summary  of  its  activities. 


THE  Connecticut  State  Library,  like  practically  all 
the  State  Libraries  of  the  older  states,  had  its 
foundation  in  the  miscellaneous  collection  of  books 
which  had  gradually  accumulated  in  the  offices  of  the 
several  state  officials  from  the  beginning.  These  volumes 
consisted  principally  of  books  purchased  to  meet  tempo- 
rary official  necessities,  or  which  had  been  presented  by 
sister  states,  foreign  governments,  or  individuals.  Until 
they  had  been  gathered  together,  arranged  and  some  one 
made  responsible  for  their  completeness  and  safety,  they 
were  of  very  little  service  to  the  public. 

In  May,  1854,  the  General  Assembly  provided  for  the 
appointment  of  a State  Librarian  and  the  miscellaneous 
collection  of  books  belonging  to  the  state  which  had  been 
accumulating  in  the  office  of  the  Secretary  of  State  were 
placed  in  the  custody  of  this  new  official.  During  the 
sixty  years  which  have  elapsed  since  1854,  Connecticut 
has  had  but  three  State  Librarians;  viz.:  Dr.  J.  Ham- 
mond Trumbull,  who  served  one  year  when  he  resigned; 
Dr.  Charles  J.  Hoadly,  who  served  from  September,  1 855, 
until  his  death,  October,  1 900,  a period  of  forty-five  years, 
and  the  present  State  Librarian,  who  came  to  the  State 
Library  in  August,  1898,  as  assistant  and  was  appointed 
State  Librarian  November  28,  1900. 

From  its  rooms  in  the  old  State  House,  now  City  Hall, 
the  Library  was  moved  to  larger  and  more  convenient 
quarters  in  the  new  Capitol  in  1878,  where  it  remained 
until  the  completion  of  its  new  home  in  our  State  Library 
and  Supreme  Court  Building,  to  which  it  transferred  its 
activities  November  28,  1910. 

The  Connecticut  State  Library  is  especially  fortunate, 
being  central  in  its  location,  housed  in  a building  substan- 
tially built,  beautiful  in  its  architecture,  convenient  in 
its  arrangement,  harmonious  in  its  decorations  and 
homelike.  It  is,  to  paraphrase  the  words  of  another,  a 
library  by  the  people,  of  the  people,  and  for  the  people. 


4 


CONNECTICUT  STATE  LIBRARY 


To  the  judge  and  attorney  it  is  the  Law  Library  of  the 
State,  commendably  complete  in  its  several  lines. 

To  the  legislator  and  man  of  public  affairs  it  is  a Legis- 
lative Reference  Library,  in  which  he  can,  at  his  own  con- 
venience and  in  his  own  way,  study  easily,  intelligently 
and  fully,  not  only  the  trend  of  legislation  both  at  home 
and  abroad  and  learn  something  of  the  reasons  for  and 
against  the  several  movements,  but  he  can  also  ascertain 
there  the  contents  and  daily  status  of  each  bill  in  his  own 
legislature. 

To  the  town  clerk  and  judge  of  probate  it  is  a possible, 
convenient,  desirable  and  safe  depository  for  files  and 
papers  not  in  current  use,  and  a source  of  intelligent 
assistance,  which  is  theirs  for  the  asking,  in  matters  per- 
taining to  binding,  repairing,  indexing  and  caring  for 
those  records  which  must  be  retained  in  their  several 
offices. 

To  the  state  officer  and  commissioner,  the  State  Library 
is  the  place  where  he  can  find  at  any  time  the  reports  of 
his  own  department  and  similar  departments  in  other 
states,  and  a place  where  he  can  deposit  any  special 
reports,  records  or  other  material  which  may  come  to 
him,  or  which  he  may  care  to  have  in  a place  of  safety, 
and  at  all  reasonable  times  have  accessible  to  him  and  to 
those  who  have  a right  to  use  them. 

To  the  selectman  and  town  treasurer  the  State  Library 
is  the  place  where  they  are  confident  they  can  find  a 
commendably  complete  file  of  the  financial  reports  of 
their  own  towns  and  neighboring  towns,  which  are  so 
often  lacking  at  home. 

To  the  civil  engineer  and  surveyor  the  State  Library  is 
not  only  a source  of  supply  of  topographical  maps  of  the 
State  as  it  is  today,  but  the  depository  of  the  official  copy 
of  the  drawings  and  specifications  for  all  dams  and  water- 
ways approved  by  the  State  Board  of  Civil  Engineers, 


SUMMARY  OF  ACTIVITIES 


5 


and  the  repository  of  records  showing  the  layout  of  many 
counties,  towns,  school  districts,  ecclesiastical  societies, 
highways,  etc.,  as  they  now  are  or  used  to  be. 

To  the  members  of  the  Connecticut  Geological  and 
Natural  History  Survey  and  those  interested  along  these 
lines,  the  State  Library  is  the  distributing  and  exchange 
agency  for  the  several  publications  of  the  Commission. 

To  the  minister  of  our  older  churches  the  State  Library 
is  a mine  of  wealth  concerning  many  things  which  relate 
to  the  life  and  activities  of  the  church  in  the  days  of  our 
fathers. 

To  the  genealogist  and  descendants  of  Colonial  and 
Revolutionary  ancestry  our  large  collection  of  muster- 
rolls,  pay-rolls,  lists,  receipts  and  miscellaneous  manu- 
scripts, together  with  our  genealogies  and  local  histories, 
is  the  one  department  thought  of. 

To  the  members  of  the  Connecticut  Society  of  Colonial 
Dames  the  Connecticut  State  Library  is  the  home  of  that 
unique  collection  of  manuscript  histories  relating  to  the 
early  homes  of  our  fathers  in  Connecticut,  which  are 
being  compiled  by  this  society. 

The  student  of  politcal  economy  and  government  is 
attracted  by  our  large  collection  of  public  documents  of 
our  own  state,  the  sister  states,  and  United  States, 
arranged  in  long  series,  easily  accessible. 

The  inventor  and  prospective  patentee  thinks  only  of 
our  long  sets  of  patent  reports  and  certified  copies  of 
specifications  and  drawings  of  patents,  always  at  his 
service. 

The  pupils  of  our  public  schools  think  of  the  State 
Library  as  the  home  of  the  old  Charter,  the  Stuart  por- 
trait of  Washington,  the  portraits  of  our  several  governors, 
and  the  place  where  they  can  see  so  many  things  of  interest 
to  them  connected  with  the  history  of  our  own  State  and 
the  general  government.  r 


6 


CONNECTICUT  STATE  LIBRARY 


The  numismatist  has  formed  his  idea  of  our  State 
Library  through  that  remarkable  collection  of  coins,  cur- 
rency, medals,  tokens  and  associated  books,  recently 
presented  to  the  State  by  one  of  her  sons,  the  late  Joseph 
C.  Mitchelson  of  Tariff ville. 

To  the  tourist  and  professional  traveler  the  Connecticut 
State  Library  is  simply  a beautiful,  new  building,  which 
having  been  planned  from  the  inside  out  as  well  as  from 
the  outside  in,  and  having  been  built  upon  honor  and  for 
time,  is  acknowledged  to  be  a model  of  its  kind. 

To  the  several  state  libraries  of  our  own  country  and 
governmental  libraries  of  Europe  the  Connecticut  State 
Library  is  looked  upon  as  the  exchange  medium  with  the 
State  of  Connecticut,  through  which  they  receive  promptly 
the  official  publications  of  the  State,  and  in  which  may 
be  found  the  several  official  publications  sent  in  return. 

To  the  sons  and  daughters  of  Connecticut,  who  have 
inherited  or  accumulated  manuscripts  and  records  which 
they  have  held  almost  sacred,  the  Connecticut  State 
Library  is  regarded  as  a most  fitting  depository  for  these 
private  collections  of  official  and  semi-official  papers, 
which  have  to  do  with  the  early  life  and  activities  of  the 
State  and  its  several  families. 

To  the  librarian  and  his  staff  the  Connecticut  State 
Library  is  a group  of  departments,  housed  in  a model 
building,  with  interested  and  competent  assistants,  whose 
aim  and  purpose  is  to  serve  intelligently,  promptly,  and 
courteously  not  only  the  inquirers  of  our  own  generation 
but  those  which  are  to  follow. 

The  above,  I imagine,  are  some  of  the  ideas  which  have 
become  clustered  about  the  name  of  the  “Connecticut 
State  Library,”  and  may  we  not  say  that  all  of  them  are 
right,  simply  looking  at  the  Library  from  their  own  point 
of  view,  and  thinking  along  the  lines  in  which  they  are 
especially  interested. 


SUMMARY  of  activities 


7 


WHAT  IS  THE  CONNECTICUT  STATE  LIBRARY? 
It  is  the: 

1.  Supreme  Court  Law  Library. 

2.  Legislative  Reference  Department. 

3.  Department  of  Local  History  and  Genealogy. 

4.  Archives  Department. 

5.  Depository  of  Public  Records. 

6.  Examiner  of  Public  Records. 

7.  Depository  of  Connecticut  State,  Town,  Municipal 

and  Society  official  publications. 

8.  Depository  for  the  official  publications  of  the 

United  States,  the  several  states  of  the  Union, 
the  Canadian  Government  and  Provinces, 
and  of  the  Australian  Colonies. 

9.  Library  Exchange  Agent  for  Connecticut  State 

Publications. 

10.  Exchange  Agent  for  Connecticut  Geological  and 

Natural  History  Survey  Publications. 

11.  Custodian  of  Portraits  of  Governors. 

12.  Custodian  of  State  Library  and  Supreme  Court 

Building. 

13.  Depository  of  historical  and  genealogical  gifts  to 

the  State.  Among  these  gifts  are  the  following: 
a Sherman  W.  Adams  Collection  of  official 
rolls  and  lists  relating  to  the  French  and 
Indian  War. 

b Dorence  Atwater  Collection  of  manuscripts 
relating  to  Andersonville. 
c William  F.  J.  Boardman  Collection  of  books 
and  manuscripts  relating  to  Genealogy. 
d Brandegee  Collection  of  Portraits  of  Chief 
Justices  of  the  United  States. 
e Stephen  Dodd  Collection  of  manuscripts 
relating  to  the  early  history  of  East  Haven. 
/ Enfield  Shaker  Collection, 
g Sylvester  Gilbert  Collection  of  papers  rela- 
ting to  the  American  Revolution. 
h Charles  Hammond  and  H.  M.  Lawson  Col- 
lections of  manuscripts  relating  to  the  early 
history  of  the  Town  of  Union. 


8 


CONNECTICUT  STATE  LIBRARY 


i Col.  Edwin  D.  Judd  Collection  of  Civil  War 
military  rolls  and  papers. 

j Dwight  C.  Kilbourn  Collection  of  books, 
pamphlets  and  manuscripts  relating  to  Con- 
necticut and  New  England. 
k Ellen  D.  Earned  Collection  of  books  and  manu- 
scripts relating  to  New  England. 

I Daniel  N.  Morgan  Historical  Collection, 
including  table  on  which  Emancipation 
Proclamation  was  signed. 
m Deacon  Lewis  M.  Norton  Collection  of  manu- 
scripts relating  to  the  Town  of  Goshen. 
n Orville  H.  Platt  Collection  relating  to  Finance, 
Indians  and  Insular  Afffairs. 
o Capt.  John  Pratt  Collection  of  military 
papers,  1778-1824. 

p Major  E.  V.  Preston  Collection  of  Civil  War 
military  rolls  and  papers. 
q Col.  Daniel  Putnam  Letters. 
r Governor  Trumbull  Manuscripts. 

5 Gideon  and  Thaddeus  Welles  Collection  of 
American  newspapers  from  1820  to  1840, 
approximately. 

t Charles  T.  Wells  Collection  of  books  relating 
to  New  England. 

u Robert  C.  Winthrop  Collection  of  manu- 
scripts relating  to  early  Connecticut. 
v Samuel  Wyllys  Collection  of  manuscripts 
relating  to  witchcraft  and  other  crimes  in 
early  Connecticut. 


